My Body · How Your Body Works
Meet Your Reproductive System
By the eva team · · 2 min read
The reproductive system includes internal organs such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina, along with the external genital area called the vulva. These parts work together during puberty, the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Learning their correct names can make periods, discharge, body changes and health questions much easier to understand.
1. Meet The Parts Working Inside Your Body
Your reproductive system is a group of organs located mainly inside the pelvis. It includes the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina. The vulva is the external part of this system. Each structure has a different job, but they work together.
2. The Ovaries Store And Release Eggs
The ovaries are two small organs located on either side of the uterus. They contain immature eggs and make hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. After puberty begins, an ovary may release an egg during a process called ovulation.
3. The Fallopian Tubes Create A Pathway
A fallopian tube extends from each side of the uterus toward an ovary. After an egg is released, it enters a fallopian tube and travels toward the uterus. If sperm fertilises an egg, this usually happens inside a fallopian tube.
4. The Uterus Has A Lining That Changes
The uterus is a hollow, muscular organ in the pelvis. Its inner lining is called the endometrium. During each menstrual cycle, this lining builds up. When pregnancy does not occur, much of the lining leaves the body as a period.
5. The Cervix Connects The Uterus And Vagina
The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus. It opens into the top of the vagina and creates a passage between the uterus and vaginal canal. Menstrual flow travels through the cervix before leaving through the vagina.
6. The Vagina Is Inside. The Vulva Is Outside.
The vagina is a flexible internal canal connecting the cervix to the outside of the body. The vulva is the external genital area and includes structures such as the labia, clitoris, urethral opening and vaginal opening. They are connected, but they are not the same body part.
7. Your Reproductive System Works As A Team
The ovaries make hormones and release eggs. The fallopian tubes create a pathway, the uterus prepares its lining, the cervix forms the lower opening of the uterus and the vagina connects the cervix to the outside. Understanding this map makes ovulation, periods, pregnancy and discharge much easier to explain.